Eve Online: Graphics Update, Plug-n-Talk Chat

Just met with CCP, company that makes Eve Online -- they have 120,000 subscribers right now, and for 2007 they're completely redoing the graphics engine for all spaceships. It looks really nice for an online game -- the game already looks gorgeous, but when you see the update compared with the current graphics, it's pretty impressive.

They've also partnered with Vivox to add complete voice integration into the game without the use of any third-party servers. As far as timing, the best they could tell me was that this would be soon -- whenever they can get the patch on there.

In most MMORPGs, you have to set up a voice chat server, then IM your friends to get them to log in. For this you just buy a microphone and plug it in, and you'll be able to hail other ships and talk to other players on them.

At the demo, I put on the headset and talked to some people playing the game in Boston. It was crystal clear.